Til Death Us Do Part (Episode 9)
by Zanza8
Summary: Nick and Judy investigate the murder of a divorce lawyer but things get complicated when Yax makes an ominous prediction.
1. Chapter 1

Chief Bogo went methodically down his list, handing out assignments and watching officers depart, until only Nick and Judy were left in the bullpen. "Hopps, Wilde, my office. There's been a murder and Mayor Burney has requested both of you."

The bunny and fox looked at each other, then scrambled down from the chair they shared to hurry after Bogo. The cape buffalo set a pace that made them breathless trying to keep up, and it wasn't until they arrived at the office that Nick had a chance to ask, "Who's been murdered, sir?"

"Friend of the mayor's." Bogo opened the door and went over to his desk, motioning for Nick and Judy to sit down. They climbed up and sat side by side on a single chair while the chief went through the case file. "The victim was a mole named Johnny Cooper, a divorce lawyer."

"A _divorce_ lawyer?" Nick's eyes widened. "He could have hundreds of enemies who wanted him dead."

"I don't think so." Mayor Burney came into the office and the fox and bunny jumped to their feet.

Nick said hastily, "I meant no disrespect, sir."

"I know." The brown bear pulled up a chair. "Sit down, sit down. If it were anyone other than Johnny, Officer Wilde, I would have to admit your suspicions were well founded, but he simply wasn't the kind of animal to make enemies. Maybe it will help your investigation to know what he _was_ like." Burney paused, gathering his thoughts. "It seems so long ago now. When Ursula and I were first married, I was a bear for work. I was fresh out of law school, working for the prosecutor and putting in way too many hours. I was so eager to make a name for myself I wasn't paying any attention to my wife and it got so bad Ursula went to see a lawyer about getting a divorce."

"Johnny Cooper," said Judy softly.

"Johnny Cooper," Burney nodded. "And you know what he told her? He said to go home and work things out with me, and to let me know he would be happy to handle her case if she decided she wanted a divorce. Needless to say, when Ursula told me she had consulted a divorce lawyer she gained my full attention and I realized if I wanted to save my marriage, I had to make some changes. And I did, and we've had a pretty good life together, thanks to Johnny." He smiled a little. "I went to see him after Ursula talked to me. I wanted to thank him. I wound up taking him to lunch, and once a week for the past fifteen years we've taken turns paying for lunch. He's...he _was_ my son Osborn's godfather. I know divorces can get pretty nasty, and I'm not saying Johnny didn't fight hard for his clients, but he was never the kind of cut throat attorney that tries to destroy the other side. He referred vindictive clients to other lawyers, said life was too short to get into that kind of hate. I may have been his only friend, but he just didn't have any enemies."

"His _only_ friend?" asked Nick hesitantly.

"As far as I know," Burney replied. "Unlike me, the sole claim Johnny had on his time was his work. He was an only child, parents long dead, no other relatives. He spent all his time at his office. I often wondered if he lived there. Once Osborn came along, Johnny would come to the house for birthdays and holidays, but that was it. His life seemed lonely to me but he was always very cheerful. I think he was genuinely happy." The bear's voice dropped. "And now he's dead and I want you to find out who killed him. I asked for you both because I haven't forgotten how hard you worked to save my son from kidnappers. I believe you're the best officers to handle the case. Chief Bogo agrees."

"Absolutely," said the cape buffalo. "Wilde and Hopps may be unorthodox, but they get the job done. And now, sir, if you'll excuse us, I'll finish reviewing the case file with them."

"Very well," said the mayor, getting to his feet. "By the way, Officer Wilde, I want you to know that I've sponsored legislation to outlaw discrimination against foxes."

Nick smiled. "That _is_ good news, sir. I'll be sure to tell Finn."

"There's no guarantee it will pass," Burney cautioned, "but fox repellent and fox tasers have been made illegal. At least that much has been accomplished." He started for the door. "Chief Bogo, please provide me with regular updates."

"Of course, sir." Bogo got up to show the mayor out, then returned to the case file. "As I was saying, Johnny Cooper was a divorce lawyer. He was found this morning in his office with a single gunshot wound to the head."

"Who found him?" asked Judy.

Bogo flipped a page. "His secretary, Nory Belette."

"A gunshot wound to the head…" Nick mused.

"It wasn't suicide, Wilde." Bogo consulted another sheet. "No gun was found and there was no gunshot residue on his paws or clothes. Whoever shot him was at least five feet away, probably somewhere between the door to his office and his desk. It's very doubtful he interrupted a burglar. There was money in his desk in a box marked Petty Cash and he was wearing a very expensive gold watch. Nothing was taken and there was no sign of forced entry." He closed the folder and handed it to Judy. "I suggest you interview Miss Belette. If Cooper _did_ have any enemies, she'd be the one to know."


	2. Chapter 2

Nory Belette, a trim weasel in a dark suit, opened one file drawer after another, tears running quietly down her face. "I've been looking through Mr Cooper's files ever since…" She put her paws over her face.

Judy took her arm and guided her gently to her desk. "It must be very hard for you. Do you want something? Some water, or coffee or tea?"

"I didn't make coffee this morning," said Nory miserably.

"I'll make it." Nick went over to the coffeepot. "So there weren't any clients who might have wanted to harm Mr Cooper?"

The weasel shook her head. "I'm not saying everyone was happy with the outcome of their case, but his clients were usually satisfied. He never advertised, most of his business was word of mouth. And no one _ever_ threatened him."

Judy asked, "Did Mr Cooper have any cases at the moment?"

"Just one." Nory fiddled nervously with the folder on her desk. "He took this case a couple of weeks ago. A very high profile client."

Nick brought a cup of coffee over. "Sugar? Cream?"

"This is fine." The weasel tasted the coffee and sighed.

"High profile?" Judy shook her head as Nick offered her a cup of coffee.

"Belinda Brown."

"I don't think I've ever heard of her," said the fox.

Nory sipped her coffee. "She's married to Claret Simpleson."

"The actor?" Nick asked. "He's on that screwball comedy about cops?"

"That's the one. He's older than Belinda, she's only twenty and he's almost forty years old but they seemed a very happy couple. Of course you never can tell about animals from what the papers say." Nory lowered her voice. "Claret is not nearly as charming in his private life as he is with his public. Belinda said he was demanding, controlling, very petty…"

"Did he ever hit her?" asked Judy.

"I don't know," said Nory slowly. "He may have and Belinda just doesn't want to say. She didn't want a divorce but he told her he didn't love her any more and it would be better for both of them to end the marriage. She knows Ursula Burney and Ursula recommended Mr Cooper. That's how he usually got his clients. He was always so kind and understanding, even when animals decided not to get a divorce, they would send someone who needed a lawyer."

"You said Mr Cooper only had Belinda's case a couple of weeks?" asked Nick.

Nory frowned. "Yes, but there was something strange about it. He called me yesterday and told me I could leave early but to be sure to put Belinda's file on his desk." She blinked away fresh tears. "And that's what I did. I left early. If only I had been here…"

"Then whoever killed Mr Cooper would have gotten you too," said Nick. "At least you're still alive."

"I'm going to miss him so much," said Nory sadly. "He hired me right out of high school and he was such a good boss. I never wanted to work for anyone else and I just know I'll never find anyone that nice to work for again."

"So you don't know what he wanted with the file?" asked Judy.

"No." The weasel fidgeted with her coffee cup. "Animals try to hide assets, you know, when there's a divorce proceeding. The only thing I can think of is that Mr Cooper might have found something, money or other valuables that Belinda would have a right to a share of."

Judy asked, "And there were no threats? No one you can think of who might have wanted to harm Mr Cooper?"

"He didn't have an enemy in the world," said Nory with conviction.

"If you think of anything, give us a call." Nick laid a card on the weasel's desk. "And could you let us have Belinda's contact information? We should probably talk to her, and her husband as well."

Nory looked alarmed. "Do you think Mr Simpleson…"

"We need to talk to them because they were the last case Mr Cooper worked on," said Judy. "If you could print out the contact information and copy that file for us, that will give us a starting place."


	3. Chapter 3

Nick got into the police car and started going through the file. "Claret Simpleson has some serious assets. He has two townhouses, a penthouse at the Lunar Resort, matching Furraris for him and his wife, a custom built Panther Blaze motorcycle…" He turned a page and whistled.

Judy leaned over to look at the folder. "Does that say what I think it says?"

"If you think it says he gets paid a hundred thousand dollars for every episode of The Scrambled Badge whether or not he appears in it, it says what you think it says." Nick shook his head. "I want his job. I'd love to get paid whether or not I show up."

The bunny gave him a look. "I thought you were past wanting money you hadn't honestly earned."

Nick's eyes twinkled. "For a hundred thousand dollars, I wouldn't care how dishonest I had to be." Judy huffed in annoyance and the fox said, "Seriously, Carrots, think about it. Simpleson has more money and more expensive toys than all the animals we know, except for Mr Big. Don't you think he might be willing to kill to protect it?"

"I don't know," said Judy thoughtfully. "Don't _you_ think murder is going too far? It's not like he would lose everything in a divorce case. At the worst he'd have to give his ex-wife half of his property and maybe pay alimony. He'd still have his big career." She took the file from Nick and ran her paw down the page. "He has over a million dollars in the bank, he'd still have plenty of money even after the divorce."

Nick said soberly, "He wants to throw his wife away like an old shirt. Maybe he hates the idea of sharing _anything_ with her."

"But killing her lawyer isn't going to stop that from happening." Judy snapped the file shut. "He's going to have to split his money with her no matter who represents her. It just doesn't make sense."

The fox took the file back. "Well, let's go talk to them. Maybe something will click once we see them."

"Maybe." Judy started the car. "Who do you want to try first?"

The radio crackled. "Car 51, do you copy?"

Nick picked up the microphone. "Go ahead."

"See the yak at Mystic Springs Oasis."

Judy groaned. "What does Yax want?"

"What's it about?" Nick asked the dispatcher.

"No idea. The call came in on the non-emergency line as a request for you and Judy."

"Copy that." Nick put the microphone back. "Well, at least it's not something we have to respond to right away."

"No," said Judy glumly, "but we should go anyway. Yax helped us save Mayor Burney's son, we owe him." She started the engine and pulled out into the street.

"I could go after work," the fox ventured. "You know how much you hate that place."

"I do, I really do," sighed the bunny, "but I wouldn't feel right about not going when Yax asked for us both."

She drove determinedly to the Oasis and parked, ignoring Nick's quizzical expression as he opened the door and the smell of incense wafted over them. The fox shrugged and waved her in, taking off his sunglasses in the dim interior.

Yax was behind the reception desk, chanting softly to himself, but he was not so lost that he didn't notice them coming in. "Hey, Nick! Glad to see you still got the bunny scout with you."

Judy snapped, "Is there any reason I _wouldn't_ be with him?"

"Well, yeah." The yak peered at her with an expression that almost looked serious. "I was hoping I wasn't too late."

"Too late for what, Yax?" asked Nick patiently.

"Too late to warn you whatever you're working on, you gotta stop working on it." Yax stared into the distance. "I saw her die."

Nick and Judy stared at each other, speechless, then the bunny summoned up all of her composure and said politely, "Thank you for letting us know, Yax. I'll be sure to be extra careful."

"Won't do any good." The yak closed his eyes and the chanting started again.

Judy headed for the door. "Let's go."

They went back out to their car and she started the engine, saying brightly, "We should go see Belinda Brown first."

Nick reached over and turned off the engine. "Maybe it's not such a good idea for you to work this case."

The bunny reached for the keys and he took them out of the ignition. "I thought you didn't believe in Yax's visions."

"I don't." The fox frowned. "Maybe. Or maybe I don't know what to think. Look, he told us right where to find Mayor Burney's son when nobody else had a clue. What if he can see the future and if you stay on this case…" He couldn't go on.

"Nick." Judy laid her little velvet paw on his arm. "I'm a cop. It's all I ever wanted to be. You know as well as I do what that means. There's always the chance something could happen in the line of duty. And don't forget you were shot and you almost died and it had nothing to do with any case we were working on." Her voice shook. "You weren't even in uniform. You just walked down the street in front of a bigot who hates foxes."

He rubbed the scars on his chest. "You could skip this case, Judy. Mayor Burney asked for us but that doesn't mean _you_ have to work it." He gazed at her imploringly. "Let me handle it by myself and you take some time off. You could go visit your mom and dad."

Judy held out her paw and Nick reluctantly surrendered the keys. "We'll do this together, Nick, just like we always have." Her soft violet eyes locked on his sharp green ones. "The only way I'll feel safe is if we're together."

He swallowed hard and nodded, managing a smile, but his heart was leaden with foreboding as they drove away.


	4. Chapter 4

Belinda Brown was tall for an ocelot and very beautiful, with elegant clothes and expensive jewelry, but she had a discontented look that seemed to permeate her entire personality. "I really don't know what I can tell you. First my husband decided he didn't want me anymore, then Mr Cooper got himself killed after promising to take Claret for every penny he has."

"I doubt Mr Cooper was murdered just to annoy you," said Nick blandly.

Belinda sighed. "No, I suppose not. Still, it's disappointing. Mr Cooper sounded so excited when he called me."

"What did he call you about?" asked Judy.

"He said a number I found panned out. A number on Claret's desk." The ocelot assumed a virtuous expression. "I wasn't snooping, you understand. I was just straightening things up. And I found this number and gave it to Mr Cooper."

"A phone number?" asked the bunny.

"No." Belinda thought a moment. "It was a long number. Like on a credit card."

"Bank account," said Nick.

"Maybe." The ocelot's eyes narrowed. "Mr Cooper said I was going to walk away a very rich animal."

"I don't suppose you have a copy of that number?" asked Judy.

"Let me look. I did write it down, I'm just not sure which purse I put it in. I'll call you if I find it."

Judy smiled. "We don't mind waiting."

"Oh, it's going to take a while." The ocelot fiddled with her diamond bracelet. "I have about a hundred purses. Claret gave them to me. He's always giving me expensive gifts. Like this bracelet." She held out her arm. "He just sent it over this morning."

Nick and Judy exchanged a puzzled glance and the fox asked, "Why would he give you a diamond bracelet when he's divorcing you?"

"Oh, didn't I mention it?" Belinda stroked the diamonds. "He's not divorcing me. This bracelet is a getting-back-together present."

The fox and the bunny were silent for a moment after this statement, then Judy took out a card. "Give us a call when you find that number."

She left with Nick, shaking her head. "I don't understand these animals, Nick. It's like they live on a different planet. Not-getting-a-divorce diamond bracelets, a hundred purses...between me, my mother, and all my sisters, we don't have that many purses." She paused, then said thoughtfully, "Maybe you were right."

"Of course I was," said Nick promptly. "What was I right about?"

Judy gave him a look. "About being willing to kill over money. If that number is a bank account, and Claret Simpleson has money hidden away, money that Mr Cooper found…"

"Simpleson might have killed him to keep his secret." The fox took out his phone. "Let's see if we can get an appointment to talk to him today." His eyes twinkled. "He might just fit us into his busy schedule if he thinks we're on the trail of his hidden money."


	5. Chapter 5

Claret Simpleson was a big handsome mountain lion, but when he hung up the phone he looked more like a scared kitten. His wolverine attorney, Tab Rotter, raised his eyebrows. "Now what's wrong?"

"That was the police," whispered Simpleson. "They want to talk to me. Today!" He threw down the phone and went over to the picture window of his penthouse at the top of the Lunar Resort, wringing his paws. "You told me when you killed Cooper it was all over!"

"Don't be a fool," said Rotter with contempt. "Did you think your wife's lawyer could get die and nobody would notice? Naturally there's going to be an investigation. There's no evidence linking us to the murder…"

Simpleson winced. "Do you have to use that word?"

Rotter clicked his tongue in exasperation. "To the _death_ , then. There's nothing linking us to Johnny Cooper at all. We've never even met with him. He requested a list of your assets, and I mailed him the list. That's the extent of our connection."

"He had the number for the secret bank account in that folder," whined Simpleson.

"And I got it back. If you hadn't been so stupid as to leave it laying around, Belinda would never have got her paws on it in the first place."

"Belinda." Simpleson shook his head. "Marrying her was just a mistake."

"That's what you said about your last six wives."

The mountain lion gazed out the window. "I'm starting to think I'm not the marrying kind."

"Well, don't stop now." Rotter went over to the window. "I could use a little more in my portfolio. When are the cops coming?"

"Right now. They'll be here any minute. Tab, what if they know about the money?"

The wolverine shrugged. "No way. We would have heard something by now if Cooper had found it."

"But…"

"No buts!" Rotter snapped. "You put away a little cash for your retirement. And one third of it is mine, so don't lose your nerve now. We'll be all right as long as you stay calm."

"It's pretty hard to be calm married to Belinda."

"Well, you're going to _stay_ married to her until the heat dies down," growled Rotter. "We can't afford a lot of attention right now, so you're going to make nice with your wife until I say it's safe to get rid of her."

The phone rang and Simpleson jumped, then went over to answer it. "Right now? It's not really a good time…" He listened for a moment. "Fine! Tell the elevator operator to bring you up." He slammed down the phone. "That was the cops, Tab. They're on their way!"

Rotter rolled his eyes. "They're on their way to ask you a few questions. That's all." He went over to the bar and poured a generous measure of brandy. "Here. Maybe this will settle your nerves."

The mountain lion gulped his drink, then tensed as the doorbell rang. Rotter gave him a hard look, then went over to the door and opened it with a pleasant smile. "How can I help you?"

Nick and Judy came in and the bunny said crisply, "I am Officer Judy Hopps and this is my partner, Officer Nick Wilde. We have some questions about Johnny Cooper."

"Tab Rotter." The wolverine shook paws warmly with them both. "I'm Claret's personal attorney."

Simpleson came forward, beaming. "Yes, I don't know what I would do without Tab here. He handles all my business, including my divorces."

"Divorces?" asked Nick.

Simpleson looked surprised. "I've been married six times. Don't you keep up with the news, Officer…"

"Wilde." Nick wore his most bored expression. "I've never even owned a TV, Mr…"

"Simpleson." The mountain lion's eyes narrowed and suddenly he looked a lot less benign.

Judy moved in. "Mr Simpleson, about Mr Cooper..."

"If it's about Johnny Cooper, my client has no comment," said Rotter. "He never even met Belinda's lawyer. And now that Claret and Belinda have reconciled…"

"Spur of the moment, right?" asked Nick, his eyes wide and innocent.

Claret smiled tightly. "You have to understand, Officer... _Wilde_ , we both have very demanding careers. I'm a TV star. Belinda is a swimsuit model. We're under a lot of stress."

"I can see that." Nick looked around the luxurious penthouse, then walked over to the window and took in the view. "It must be tough to live like this."

"Speaking of which," said Judy demurely, "the list of your assets includes your salary for The Scrambled Badge. You make a hundred thousand dollars an episode. There have been twenty-two episodes a year for the past five years. That comes out to eleven million dollars. Yet you only have a million in the bank. Where did the rest of your money go?"

"While I compliment you on your math skills, Officer Hopps, you haven't taken Claret's generosity into account," said Rotter smoothly. "He gives a great deal of his money away."

"Not to charity he doesn't," Nick said absently, still absorbed in the view. He turned slowly. "There was only one charitable donation on that list. One hundred dollars a year to his alma mater, the Golden Sierra School of the Performing Arts. How many years would Mr Simpleson have to live for one hundred dollars a year to add up to ten million, Officer Hopps?"

"Oh, it would be a long time, Office Wilde," said Judy solemnly. "Of course, that bank account may hold some answers."

"Bank account?" squeaked Simpleson.

"You know, Claret," said Rotter swiftly. "That old bank account you cleaned out a few years ago when you bought your second townhouse." He smiled brightly at the two cops. "A lot of money moved in and out of that account. You know, when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping, right, Claret?"

"Right." Simpleson made an effort to recover his composure. "I don't really keep track of how much I spend. In fact, I'm throwing a party here tonight and I have no idea what it cost."

"Party?" Judy raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, it's to celebrate Belinda and me getting back together. You both should come. Eight o'clock, black tie." The mountain lion was backing towards the door. "And now I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me. Lots to do." He hurried out.

The two cops looked thoughtfully at Rotter and the wolverine smiled widely. "Did you have any other questions?"

"Not at this time," said Nick dryly, "but we'll be looking forward to seeing both of you at the party tonight."


	6. Chapter 6

There was a knock at Judy's door and she called, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Carrots," Nick called back. "Are you ready?"

"Just about." The bunny opened the door to her partner and they both fell silent, staring at each other.

Judy had never seen the fox looking so handsome. He wore a tux in the latest style, complete with gold cufflinks and a silk pocket square, and he was totally at his ease as if such fine clothes were his normal attire. For his part, Nick was stunned at how good Judy looked in a slinky purple dress that fell to the floor and was slit to the middle of her thigh so her legs showed with every move she made. She wasn't wearing makeup but the color of the dress made her eyes glow and he was the first one to speak. "You look beautiful."

Judy blushed. "You don't look so bad yourself."

He offered his arm. "Miss Hopps, may I escort you to the dance?"

"You may indeed, Mr Wilde." Two hearts raced as Judy took Nick's arm and for a brief moment they both contemplated ditching the party for another kind of evening, but duty called and they walked out to the unmarked police car the fox had checked out of the impound yard.

"Nick!" The bunny stopped on the sidewalk, gazing at the low slung black convertible. "Is that a Sable?"

He opened the passenger door for her. "I thought it would be fun to arrive in style."

Judy settled into the richly upholstered interior, sighing. "I can't believe the chief let you have this car. It's worth a fortune."

"Actually he gave me permission to take the Bison truck they impounded last week." Nick smiled at Judy.

She smiled back. "He's going to be furious."

The fox leaned over. "Do you care?"

"Not at all." The bunny was leaning too, then she sat back and said regretfully, "I suppose we'd better get to work."

Nick blew out his breath. "I suppose you're right." He started the car. "If you're cold I can put the top up."

Judy gazed up at the stars. "No, don't. I'm warm enough."

They arrived at the Lunar Resort and handed the car over to a valet, then went inside and took the elevator up, getting off at the penthouse to find waiters circulating the packed room with champagne and plates of hor d'oeuvres while their host, Claret Simpleson, held court at the window, his arm locked around Belinda Brown's waist. Nick took two flutes of champagne and handed one to Judy, sipping as he appraised the females. They were elegantly gowned and made up, with jewelry costing many times what he could ever afford, but none of them was as lovely as Judy and he smiled at her. She smiled back, having confirmed that none of the males in their expensive attire and accessories looked as good as Nick. For a moment, it was almost as if they were really there just to enjoy themselves, then Tab Rotter came up with a wide insincere smile and they were all business again.

"Officer Hopps! Officer Wilde! So good to see you. I was hoping you would take Claret up on his invitation."

"Were you?" Judy put her empty glass on a tray as a waiter went past. "I would have thought the last animals you wanted to see here was Nick and me."

Rotter chuckled. "That would be true if I had anything to hide. I don't, and neither does Claret." He waved at the room. "Go ahead. Mingle. Ask all the questions you want. I don't suppose there's anyone you know…"

Nick handed his glass to a waiter and took a spring roll. "Actually, I do see a friend. Will you excuse me?"

"Of course." Rotter left and Nick turned to Judy, his eyes twinkling.

"Want to say hello to Yax?"

Judy stiffened, her eyes like saucers as she caught sight of the yak in a red velvet tuxedo with a bright gold cummerbund. "I don't believe it."

"Neither do I."

She snapped, "You can talk to Yax. I'm going to see if Belinda found that account number."

Judy headed for the picture window and Nick took a moment to appreciate how her dress accentuated her curves before going over to Yax. "This is the last place I'd expect to find you, buddy. All these clothes."

"Nick!" Yax smiled brightly. "Claret and me go back. Like, _all_ the way back. We went to school together. He even helped me open the Oasis."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. He loves the naturalist lifestyle." The yak chortled, then caught sight of Judy at the window and dropped his glass of champagne. "What's _she_ doing here?"

Nick frowned. "She's my partner, remember? We're working a case."

"That the dress she dies in," whispered Yax. "I'm telling you, Nick, I saw her die and that's what she was wearing."

Chilled, the fox stared at Judy. Simpleson had moved away from his wife and the bunny was in earnest conversation with Belinda. "Nothing's going to happen to her here with all these animals around."

Yax was almost in tears. "This is how it always goes down. Nobody ever believes me until it's too late."

"I don't know what to believe, Yax," said Nick evenly, "but I can tell you Judy is never going to abandon this case over one of your visions. If you have anything _real_ to show she's in danger…"

The yak took two glasses of champagne from a waiter and drained them. "I never have anything real. I just see." He waved to another waiter and took a whole tray of champagne flutes. "And right now I don't want to see anything."

Nick and Yax were not the only animals watching Judy and Belinda. Across the room Claret Simpleson and his lawyer Tab Rotter were staring at the bunny and the ocelot.

"This is it, Tab. I just know it," murmured the mountain lion. He caught the wolverine's arm. "There, see?" Belinda handed Judy a piece of paper and walked away.

Rotter shook Simpleson off. "I'll take care of it."

"What are you going to do?"

Rotter ignored him and followed Judy as she went to the powder room, waiting until she came out before going up to her. "Are you enjoying the party, Officer Hopps?"

"Yes, it's very nice but I need to find my partner. Have you seen Officer Wilde?"

"As a matter of fact, I have," said Rotter. "He was looking for you. I think he went to the kitchen. I'll show you the way."

They walked down the hall and looked in the kitchen, where a harried staff bustled about preparing more food and drinks. No Nick. "He must have gone back to the party," said Judy.

She turned to go and the wolverine pressed a gun in her side. "Move." She glared at him and he jabbed her with the gun. "I said move." He walked her to the service elevator. "Give me your phone."

She gritted her teeth and handed it over and he tossed it into the hall before taking her down to his car. "Get in."

Judy balked. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

He raised the gun. "You can get in and drive, or I can hit you on the head and put you in the trunk. Your choice."

She swallowed hard, then slid behind the wheel. Rotter got in the passenger side, facing her, and they drove off.


	7. Chapter 7

Nick lost sight of Judy when Belinda Brown came up to him. "Really, Officer Wilde, this is hardly appropriate. I told you the divorce was off, I don't understand why you and your partner are here."

"We're here because whether or not you're getting a divorce, your attorney was still murdered and your husband is still an animal of interest," said Nick mildly.

The ocelot tossed her head. "Claret would never hurt anyone."

"Yes, well, until we finish our investigation, we don't know that, now do we?" Nick leaned against the wall, his paws in his pockets. "Speaking of our investigation, did you ever find that number in your hundred purses?"

"I did." Belinda's eyes flashed. "I gave it to your partner. You'll see, it'll just be an old bank account like Claret said."

"Of course." The fox smiled, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "In that case, I'll find Officer Hopps and we'll be on our way."

"Fine!" The ocelot stalked off.

Nick shook his head as Belinda went to Simpleson and cuddled up against him. "Celebrities." He started looking for Judy, at first casually, then more determinedly as he couldn't find her. Finally he took out his cell phone, got Judy's voicemail, and out of sheer frustration activated the app that would ping her phone using a GPS code. The signal showed the phone in the penthouse, and he dialed it again, letting it ring until he found it in the hallway by the service elevator. Frowning, he pocketed both phones and went straight for Simpleson. "Where's Judy?"

The mountain lion looked down his nose at the fox. "I have no idea. She looked mighty fine in that dress, maybe somebody took her home for the night."

The animals standing around laughed and hooted and Nick's temper boiled over. He tackled Simpleson, knocking the surprised actor to the floor. The mountain lion was approximately three times the fox's size but his tough screen persona didn't carry over into real life and he cowered, screeching, "Get him off me!"

Two bears grabbed Nick and hauled him off the mountain lion while Belinda threw herself on her knees, cooing, "Are you all right, honey?"

Simpleson sat up, glaring. "I'll have your badge for this, Wilde!"

"Go ahead!" the fox spat. "I'll have your head if anything happened to Judy."

The mountain lion sprang to his feet. "Call Chief Bogo!"

Most of the guests had left by the time Bogo arrived but the bears who had pulled Nick away from Simpleson were still restraining him. Bogo's eyes narrowed at the sight of his officer in the grip of the two animals. "Let him go." They hesitated and the cape buffalo's voice turned silky. "You _really_ don't want me to ask twice."

They released Nick and Simpleson blustered, "I want him arrested! He attacked me!"

Bogo regarded Simpleson until the mountain lion backed down, then asked, "Just what is going on here, Wilde?"

"He did something to Judy," said the fox urgently. "We arrived together and now she's not here." He held up the bunny's cell phone. "All I could find was this. She's been taken, sir."

"I don't know anything about that!" exclaimed Simpleson. "I've been here the whole time."

"Where's your lawyer?" snarled Nick. The mountain lion blinked, taken aback, and the fox pressed his advantage. "He _was_ here, he's been joined at the hip to you since this thing started, and now I don't see him anywhere."

"What about it, Mr Simpleson?" asked Bogo. "Is your lawyer here or isn't he?"

"Well, I…" Simpleson licked his lips. "I don't know."

"Call him!" snapped Nick.

"I can't." The mountain lion spread his paws. "Tab doesn't have a cell phone. He's eccentric, says he doesn't like feeling tied down to an electronic device. I'm sorry but I have no way to reach him."

"That's enough!" Belinda Brown strode forward. "You and your partner have been harassing my husband and even when I gave her proof Claret was innocent, you're still picking on him."

"What proof?" asked Nick.

"That bank account number you wanted so much," said Belinda triumphantly.

Simpleson grabbed her arm and jerked her around to face him. "I told you that account wasn't important! Why did you give her the number?"

"To prove you didn't do anything wrong, honey." The ocelot pulled on her arm. "What's wrong?"

The mountain lion pushed her away. "You stupid...spotted... _bimbo_."

"What did you call me?" she shrieked. She hit Simpleson across the face and Bogo grabbed her.

"That's enough of that." The cape buffalo glowered at the actor. "You're in pretty deep already. If Officer Hopps comes to any harm, you'll never be incarcerated enough."

Simpleson wilted. "I didn't do anything to her. Tab and me saw Belinda give her a paper. We thought it was the account number and he said he was going to take care of it. That's all I know! I swear!"

Nick bared his teeth. "What did he do to her?"

"I don't know!" Simpleson held up his paws. "He left and I haven't seen him or Officer Hopps since."

Bogo pulled out his phone. "Clawhauser? Send an investigative unit to the penthouse at the Lunar Resort." He pulled out his handcuffs and fastened Simpleson's paws behind his back. "I'm arresting you on suspicion of kidnapping and assault on a police officer. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up this right…"

Nick lost track of what Bogo was saying as he went over to one of the few guests remaining. "Yax, you have to help me find Judy."

"She's gone, Nick," the yak whined. "I told you, and I told her, and neither one of you would listen, and now she's dead."

The fox said softly, "She's not dead. She can't be dead. Now we're going to find her, do you hear?" He took Yax's arm and hustled him out, calling to Bogo, "I'm going for Judy, sir."

The cape buffalo looked as if he might object to Nick's departure, but realizing there was no holding the fox back, he nodded and waved him out, whispering, "Good luck, Wilde."


	8. Chapter 8

Nick took Yax to the Sable and pushed him into the passenger seat, closing his eyes for a moment as he thought of Judy sitting there with her fur shining in the moonlight, then he got behind the wheel and started the engine. "Okay, Yax, which way do I go?"

"I don't know!" The yak threw up his hooves. "I don't see anything now."

The fox gritted his teeth and stomped on the gas, making the tires squeal. "Then we'll just drive until you _do_ see something." He merged onto the freeway, taking exit ramps at random and cruising a section of the city, then getting back on the freeway and trying another area. He drove in silence, occasionally stopping the car to look at Yax, then starting up again when the yak shook his head. The night wore on.

The sun was coming up when Nick stopped to buy gas, rubbing his eyes as he got back in the car and drove onto the freeway. "Anything, Yax?" The bigger animal had fallen asleep and the fox jabbed him in the ribs.

"Huh?" Yax sat up, yawning.

"Is this the right direction?" Nick was speeding out of the city and Yax hesitated.

"Maybe." The yak stared into the distance. "Yeah. Yeah, this feels right."

The fox's paws tightened on the steering wheel. "Are we getting close?"

"Not yet." Yax shook his head slowly. "I'll tell you when." Five minutes went by in silence, then ten. Finally Yax held up a hoof. "This is the place."

Nick pulled over onto the shoulder and stopped the car. They were miles outside of Zootopia on a heavily wooded stretch of road. A steep hill rose on one side, the other side plunged into a ravine. Yax got out of the car and walked along, his head weaving from side to side, and Nick followed him, his chest tight with anxiety.

"There." The yak stopped. "I'm really sorry, Nick."

The fox looked where Yax was pointing and his heart sank. There was a cut in the ravine where a car had plowed through and a burned patch below where it must have exploded. The fox pulled out his cell phone. "Dispatch, Officer Nick Wilde here. I need…" He met Yax's eyes and said defiantly, "I need an _ambulance_ and an investigative unit at Thundercloud Pass, mile marker 9.8." He hung up the phone and started down the ravine.

Nick had descended only a few feet when he saw Judy. She lay crumpled in her purple dress like a flower tossed carelessly on the ground and for a moment his vision blurred from the tears in his eyes. He blinked them away, staring at her as he climbed down the rest of the way. She wasn't moving. It looked like she had been thrown from the car before it exploded and...and he couldn't say _died_ , not even to himself. Had she been trying to crawl away from the fire? Had she even felt the heat? He reached her and fell to his knees, cradling her as his tears dropped onto her face.

She stirred in his arms and her eyes opened, struggling to focus on him, then they closed again. "What took you so long?" she whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

For once, Yax wasn't chanting when Nick and Judy arrived at the Mystic Springs Oasis. He was even wearing a loincloth as he came out from behind his desk and Nick asked, "You getting used to clothes?"

"Nope," Yax chuckled. "Just wanted to look good for the bunny scout." He smiled at Judy as she made her way in. "You doing okay?"

The bunny leaned on crutches. "Aside from a broken ankle and a bump on the head?" She smiled back. "Yes. Yes, I am. Thanks to you, Yax."

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad I got it wrong. I thought for sure you were dead when I got that vision of you lying there." The yak's face fell. "I can't believe old Claret would do something like that."

"If it makes you feel any better, he didn't pull the trigger on Johnny Cooper and he didn't tell Tab Rotter to take me," said Judy. "Rotter was the real killer. Simpleson just went along with him."

"Yeah, went along with murder." Yax shook his head. "Why'd Rotter do it? Money? That's like tacky, you know?"

"For a third of ten million dollars, I don't think he cared how tacky he was," said Nick. He looked keenly at Judy. "You want to sit down?"

She nodded and Yax hurried over to his office and opened the door. "I got a couch in here."

They went through the door and the bunny sat on the couch, Nick hovering over her while Yax got a glass of water. "I'm all right. You two don't need to fuss."

"Well, you had us worried. Nick here, he was about out of his mind." Yax put the water down. "Did you say ten million dollars?"

Nick nodded. "Claret Simpleson had been stashing money away for years. His lawyer set it up under a phony name, so in addition to accessory to murder and kidnapping and assault, he's facing charges for felony tax evasion. What with one thing and another, he's probably going to be in prison for the rest of his life."

"What about his lawyer? I never did like that wolverine." Yax sniffed. "Claret liked coming here, but Rotter said we were all perverts."

"He died in the crash," said Judy soberly. "He had me drive out of town and when we got to Thundercloud Pass, he told me to pull over. I knew he was going to kill me so I spun the car. I was hoping to get him off guard and get his gun but we went over the side and he wasn't thrown clear like me." She smiled up at Nick. "I would have been afraid if I hadn't known you would come for me."

He smiled back. "Just don't scare me like that again."

"Did I tell you I got a call from Belinda?" Yax asked.

Nick perched on the arm of the couch next to Judy. "What did _she_ want?"

Yax snorted. "Remember I told you Claret helped me open this place?" Nick nodded and the yak went on. "He owned most of it. Old Claret's money's all tied up with his lawyers now and by the time they get done, she won't get a penny so she thought at least she'd get a piece of the Oasis."

"Oh, no, Yax, I'm sorry," said Judy sympathetically. "What a greedy animal."

"Not to worry," said the yak lightly. "I had a feeling when Claret married Belinda she might make trouble so I asked him to sell me his share. It's all mine, but he didn't tell her."

"A feeling, Yax?" asked Nick, grinning.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't take a psychic to tell about an animal like Belinda," said Yax. He smiled mistily at Nick and Judy, side by side, her little velvet paw on his knee. "Sometimes all you have to do is look at animals to know how they really are."


End file.
